Community

Nicole Foss has condensed her cautionary message about imminent financial collapse into a set of 4 DVDs.

AGENDA FOR A NEW ECONOMY (2nd edition, Berrett-Koehler 2010). David Korten transforms today's economic disaster into a Living Democracy. Subscribe to YES! magazine: http://www.yesmagazine.org/

BLESSED UNREST (Viking Press 2007). Paul Hawken examines worldwide environmental and social justice activism.

This is a hope-filled book. It gives encouragement and ideas for action in the struggle to reduce inequality in society. In this book, 31 people tell the stories of faith communities that promote fairness in New Zealand.

This brand new 3-hour long video sets the stage for a broad limits to growth scenario, including finance, energy and resource limits, then guides people through a decision tree of choices they need to make at family and community scales. There's a lot of emphasis on what kind of environment one might want to live in urban, rural, suburban, small town and ecovillage and the advantages and disadvantages of each option, along with the contextual factors to consider.

A Sacred Life and Living Earth story is grounded in a cosmology that affirms we are living beings born of a living Earth itself born of a living universe. Our health and well-being depend on an economy that works in co-productive partnership with the processes by which Earth's community of life maintains the conditions of its own existence and ours. Offering a hopeful vision, this book lays out the transformative impact adopting this story will have on every aspect of human life and society.

CHANGING COURSE FOR LIFE (New European Publications 2009). Julian Rose proposes local solutions to global problems.

CONFRONTING COLLAPSE (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009). Michael C. Ruppert evaluates the crisis of energy and money in a post peak oil world.

CONVERGING WORLD (Green Books, 2007). John Pontin and Ian Roderick discuss contraction, convergence and climate change.

DESIGN YOUR OWN ORCHARD (Body&Soul Publishing , 2008). Kay Baxter shows how to lay out and manage your orchard throughout the year, using organic and permaculture principles.

EAARTH (Times Books, 2010) Bill McKibben discusses making a life on a tough new planet.

ECO-ECONOMY (W. W. Norton & Company, 2001) Lester R. Brown envisages a sustainable planet.

ECOLOGY BEGINS AT HOME (Green Books, 2008). Archie Duncanson advocates using the power of choice.

This book (published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Global Ecovillage Network in July 2015) introduces a selection of ecovillage projects from all over the world. The editors have aimed to give a taste of their richness and diversity with examples from Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and North America. Most of the chapters are based on interviews with founders or long-standing members of ecovillage communities; while a few chapters are about regional or national networks of ecovillage transition. The book sets out both to honour successes, but also to learn from difficulties and failure.

As with all the YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE books, this book is intended to be enjoyable to read and easy to use - by everyone. The wealth of information is concisely written to be of benefit to professionals wishing to offer their skills; busy people wanting to make a difference in their communities and at the grassroots of their societies, and people from different cultures, especially those from the developing world, for whom English may be a 2nd or even 3rd language.

Rob Dietz and Dan O Neill bring clarity and style to their impassioned and meticulous analysis, offering the way to a better quality of life and a sustainable future for all. Kate Pickett, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of York and coauthor of The Spirit Level Dietz and O Neill create a remarkable vision a world with enough prosperity and happiness for everyone, not just for a few. This book will restore your hope in the future and give you specific things you can do to help! Thom Hartmann, internationally syndicated talk show host and author of twenty-four books

Our society sees economic growth as the prime goal of governments and business. Yet economic growth is stalling around the world as we reach the limits of natural resources. Challenges to communities, governments and future ministers of finance who either choose or are forced to run a post-growth economy will be explored.

ETHICAL MARKETS (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007). Hazel Henderson and Simran Sethi survey the sustainable business landscape.

Nicole Foss brings us up-to-date on the global economic crisis, and shows us how to prepare for the future before us.

FLEEING VESUVIUS - NEW ZEALAND EDITION (Living Economies, 2011). New Zealanders add their perspectives to a collection of essays on responding to the effects of economic and environmental collapse.

In Food Full of Life Gill Bacchus concludes that modern scientific methods simply cannot reveal or measure the true life processes that give quality to our food..... she argues that the health not only of our bodies, but also of our consciousness, thinking and emotions, depends on nourishing ourselves wisely, and she gives advice on how we can learn to find and choose food that is 'full of life and light'.

Bonus: Includes a host of gardening tips and general musings from Sister Loyola that were not included in the film. DVD: Duration 96 minutes

GET A HANDLE ON H.A.N.D.S (2012). Insights from 24 members on the how-tos, philosophy and significance of New Zealand's most successful Local Employment & Trading System, compiled and edited by Joanna Piekarski.

Growing Apart, Regional Prosperity in New Zealand. Shamubeel Eaqub 'We may be one country, but our regions are worlds apart from one another.' 'If we rank our regions internationally, Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury are comparable to France, Finland and Saudi Arabia respectively. But the smaller regions look like Timor-Leste (Northland), Greece (Manawatu-Whanganui and Gisborne) or other emerging economies such as Cyprus and the Seychelles.'

HEALTHY MONEY HEALTHY PLANET (Craig Potton, 2005). Deirdre Kent examines complementary currencies.

High Steaks: Why and How to Eat Less Meat, by Eleanor Boyle (2012) What's the matter with meat? Most people agree that there's nothing wrong wiht meat consumed in moderation, and in fact, small-scale livestock production can actually enrich ecosystems and nourish families. But today's food infrastructure is dominated by industrial agriculture with all its staggering associated health, ecological and social costs. High Steaks shares an ultimately hopeful vision of a viable sustainable food system for the 21st century.

HUMANIZING THE ECONOMY (New Society Publishers, 2010). John Restakis discusses both the possibilities and the challenges that the movement for economic democracy is facing in the age of globalization and the third industrial revolution.

In Transition 2.0 is an inspirational immersion in the Transition movement, gathering stories from around the world of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You'll hear about communities printing their own money, growing food, localising their economies and setting up community power stations. It's an idea that has gone viral, a social experiment that is about responding to uncertain times with solutions and optimism. In a world of increasing uncertainty, here is a story of hope, ingenuity and the power of growing vegetables in unexpected places

IN WHAT WE TRUST. Bernard Lietauer discusses how we create money.

As with all the YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE books, this book is intended to be enjoyable to read and easy to use - by everyone. The wealth of information is concisely written to be of benefit to professionals wishing to upgrade their skills; busy people working to make a difference in their communities and at the grassroots of their societies, and people from different cultures, especially those from the developing world, for whom English may be a 2nd or even 3rd language.

INTEREST AND INFLATION FREE MONEY (New Society Publishers, 1995). Margrit Kennedy discusses an exchange medium that would work for everybody and protect the earth.

 On Care for Our Common Home (Laudato Si') is the new appeal from Pope Francis addressed to "every person living on this planet" for an inclusive dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. Pope Francis calls the Church and the world to acknowledge the urgency of our environmental challenges and to join him in embarking on a new path. This encyclical is written with both hope and resolve, looking to our common future with candor and humility.

Let's Trade, Wairarapa Green Dollar Exchange 2013, Members' Handbook.

Meadows, Dennis, Randers, J and Meadows, Donella (2004) Limits to Growth: The 30 Year Update. Chelsea Green:Vermont.

Faith Communities and Ecology

This book reflects on the actions taken by faith communities to address ecological issues facing our planet earth.​

LOCAL DOLLARS, LOCAL SENSE (Chelsea Green 2012). Michael H. Shuman explains how to shift your money from Wall St to Main St and achieve real prosperity.

Local Money (Triarchy Press, 2013). John Rogers explains the practical differences between national and local money - how local currencies work, what they can do that national money can t do, and why they are needed.

MONEY AND SOUL Per Espen Stoknes discusses the psychology of money and the transformation of capitalism.

NATURAL CAPITALISM (Little Brown, 1999). Paul Hawken, Hunter Lovins and Amory Lovins underline the connections between economics and ecology.

Occupy Money: Creating an Economy where Everybody Wins (Margrit Kennedy, 2012) As a medium of exchange, money is one of the most ingenious inventions of mankind, as it facilitates the trade of goods and services and allows for specialization and the division of labor. However, compound interest and inflation have caused our monetary system to balloon to the point where bailing out banks, large corporations, and even entire countries will not prevent a complete breakdown of the global economy - unless we change the system in fundamental ways. It's time for a grassroots movement to knock conventional money off its pedestal and replace it with a fresh paradigm that puts people before profits. A guide not only for the 99% but also for the 1%, Occupy Money demonstrates that the creation of a stable and sustainable monetary system will reflect real wealth rather than the smoke and mirrors of speculative profit, thus providing an alternative to the Age of Austerity. This vision can be realized through such creative initiatives as: - Establishing time banks and complementary currencies geared to specific services such as health and education - Eliminating interest through interest-free loans and demurrage, which rewards currency circulation - Re-localizing economies through regional currencies. For many years financial insiders have hidden economic truths by describing them in arcane terms that no layperson can understand. Occupy Money uses clear, simple and concise language to explain how money will serve people instead of people serving money, and in doing so it issues a challenge to the very foundations of conventional economic doctrine.

ONE MAN, ONE COW, ONE PLANET (2007 documentary film).

Owning Our Future is a highly readable single story of two entwined systems: the dying juggernaut of exploitive finance and the mostly unseen hothouse garden where new models of ownership are emerging. Many books about hopeful alternatives inspire cynicism; this one inspires a desire to take part. Art Kleiner, editor-in-chief, strategy+business, and author, The Age of Heretics This seminal book will be the guidebook for transforming the corporation, and it's hard to imagine anything more important now. James Gustave Speth, professor of law, Vermont Law School, and cofounder, Natural Resources Defense Council Of all the important elements lacking from progressive thought, ownership design is perhaps the most foundational. Kelly nails it in a way that can drive it home to everyone. This is the most thorough and properly nuanced treatment of the subject I ve seen anywhere. Kelly is a brilliant writer. David Korten, author, The Great Turning and When Corporations Rule the World

PEOPLE MONEY (Triarchy Press, 2012). Margrit Kennedy, Bernard Lietaer and John Rogers outline the promise of regional currencies.

Peter Proctor, master class. Make biocynamic compost as seen on the multi-award winning DVD One Man, One Cow, One Planet.

PLAN C (New Society Publishers, 2008). Pat Murphy discusses community survival strategies for peak oil and climate change.

POLES APART (Random House, 2009). Gareth Morgan and John McCrystal ask Beyond the shouting, who's right about climate change?

SAVE YOUR OWN SEEDS (Koanga Institute). Kay Baxter outlines the basics of everything you need to know to save all your own seeds.

The authors explore climate policy in a way that ensures social justice and equity matter.

Sky Whisperers, Ranginui. A Feature Documentary. 16 Visionary New Zealanders call us to a closer intimacy with our stars, moon, sky and air.

Schumacher, D. (2011). Small is Beautiful in the 21st Century: The Legacy of E.F.Schumacher. Devon, United Kingdom: Green Books Ltd

SMALL IS POSSIBLE (New Society Publishers, 2008). Lyle Estill discusses life in a local economy.

The many real life stories that illustrate the wealth of information in this engagingly written book gives it relevance for people with their families, in their social interactions and in their places of work. The insights and advanced listening skills that have been obtained through decades of experience will be immensely useful to anyone wishing to further enhance their communication skills particularly professionals in such areas as education, healthcare, social care, law enforcement, and personnel management; and especially those in the listening professions of Counseling, Life Coaching, and Talking Therapies.

The many real life stories that illustrate the wealth of information in this engagingly written book gives it relevance for people in their relationships and in their families, in their social interactions and in their places of work. The insights and advanced communication skills that have been obtained through decades of experience which are detailed in this book will be immensely useful to anyone wishing to be an effective, caring, intelligent, influential and successful communicator.

This book is crammed with skills, methods, tools and insights obtained through decades of experience that will be immensely useful to anyone wishing to be an effective, caring, intelligent, influential and successful communicator. By implementing these in all our communications with youngsters we can avoid doing them emotional harm; be supportive of the development of their self-confidence and high self-esteem; and enhance their potential. Relationships between any adult and child, and those within families, could be improved, and misunderstandings and conflict be reduced. The many real life stories that illustrate the wealth of information in this engagingly written book gives it relevance for all adults who have any interactions with children of any age and who wish to contribute towards a safe, sustainable future in the hands of well adjusted, capable, empowered, responsible and caring future adults.

Snake Oil, Post carbon Institute, 2013 Richard Heinburg writes the the rapid spread of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") has temporarily boosted US natural gas and oil production and sparked a massive environmental backlash in communities across the country. The fossil fuel industry is trying to sell fracking as the biggest energy development of the century, with slick promises of American energy independence and benefits to local economies

Supply Shock: Economic Growth at the Crossroads and the Steady State Solution (New Society Publishers 2013). Brian Czech leaves no doubt that the biggest idea of the twentieth century economic growth has become the biggest problem of the twenty-first. Required reading for anyone concerned about the world our children and grandchildren will inherit, this landmark work lays a solid foundation for a new economic model, perhaps in time for preventing global catastrophes; certainly in time for lessening the damages.

We're bombarded by messages telling us that more, bigger, and better things are the keys to happiness-but after we pile up the stuff and pile on the hours, we end up exhausted and broke on a planet full of trash. Sarah van Gelder and her colleagues at YES! Magazine have been exploring the meaning of real happiness for eighteen years. In this much-needed volume, they marshal fascinating research, in-depth essays, and compelling personal stories that lead to a life-altering conclusion: what makes us truly happy are the depth of our relationships, the quality of our communities, the contribution we make through the work we do, and the renewal we receive from a thriving natural world. The authors offer creative ways to cultivate a happiness that is sustainable in every sense: one that is nurturing, enduring, just, and life affirming for individuals, society, and the earth.

Our compost heaps are designed to: Turn carbonaceous material into highly mineralised biologically active humus, capable of growing nutrient dense food. Be aerobic... essential for it to work as soil food. Make the maximum amount of high quality humus. Hold the range of minerals that plants need attatched to carbon, in the form of humus, making a super efficient use of the minerals that are not water soluble, so they remain in the top soil where the plant roots need them for longer. When the minerals are attatched (electrically bonded) to carbon they can only be used by plants or microbes and are not water soluble and do not wash away in the rain or when watering the garden like most others. Make efficient use of the compost materials we have, especially the carbon. Include all 84 minerals our plants need in roughly the right relationships for optimal cell growth. Use mineral sources from our own back yards wherever possible in the medium term... it's a process. Make efficient use of our time. Be easy enough for everybody to do with no expensive tools or machinery.

THE BIOCHAR SOLUTION (New Society Publishers, 2010) Albert Bates analyses carbon farming and climate change with techniques for the production and use of biochar.

THE ECOTECHNIC FUTURE (New Society Publishers, 2009). John Michael Greer envisages a post-peak world.

Why has inequality Increased in the Western World - and what can we do abou it?

THE GREAT TURNING (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006). David C. Korten challenges us to save the planet by making fundamental changes to the way we live.

THE GREAT WORK (Bell Tower, 2000). Thomas Berry argues for creating a new path for ecological and cultural survival.

THE LONG DESCENT (New Society Publishers). John Michael Greer offers a rational response to peak oil.

THE MONEY FIX (2009). Alan Rosenblith compares and contrasts community currencies with federal dollars.

By Charles Eisensenstein

In a time of social and ecological crisis, what can we as individuals do to make the world a better place? This inspirational and thought-provoking book serves as an empowering antidote to the cynicism, frustration, paralysis, and overwhelm so many of us are feeling, replacing it with a grounding reminder of what's true: we are all connected, and our small, personal choices bear unsuspected transformational power. By fully embracing and practicing this principle of interconnectedness called interbeing we become more effective agents of change and have a stronger positive influence on the world.With chapters covering separation, interbeing, despair, hope, pain, pleasure, consciousness, and many more, the book invites us to let the old Story of Separation fall away so that we can stand firmly in a Story of Interbeing.

THE NATURAL STEP (Green Books, 2005). David Cook tells the story of the evolution of The Natural Step framework for sustainability from its start in Sweden to the present day.

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY. A 2006 documentary by Faith Morgan, Pat Murphy and Megan Quinn looks at how Cuba survived peak oil.

The Price Of Inequality (Norton 2013). Joseph E. Stiglitz's new book is the single most comprehensive counterargument to both Democratic neoliberalism and Republican laissez-faire theories. While credible economists running the gamut from center right to center left describe our bleak present as the result of seemingly unstoppable developments globalization and automation, a self-replicating establishment built on "meritocratic" competition, the debt-driven collapse of 2008 Stiglitz stands apart in his defiant rejection of such notions of inevitability. He seeks to shift the terms of the debate. (Thomas B. Edsall - New York Times Book Review)

THE SECRET OF OZ. Bill Still's 2009 documentary offers solutions for a broken economy.

The Transition Handbook is a ground-breaking book which shows how we can move from feeling anxiety and fear in the face of "peak oil", to developing a positive vision and taking practical action to create a more self-reliant existence.

The bestselling 1995 edition of When Corporations Rule the World helped launch a global resistance against corporate domination. In this twentieth-anniversary edition, Korten shares insights from his personal experience as a participant in the growing movement for a New Economy. A new introduction documents the further concentration of wealth and corporate power since 1995 and explores why our institutions resolutely resist even modest reform. A new conclusion chapter outlines high-leverage opportunities for breakthrough change.

Subscribe to YES!

For our 20th-anniversary issue, we asked a dozen reporters to speak with hundreds of people around the country—activists, entrepreneurs, parents, politicians, religious leaders, scientists, students, workers—to bring you 50 of our favorite inspiring solutions. These are the ideas making the places we live more sustainable and inclusive—and bringing communities together.

Subscribe to YES!

As capitalism continues to enrich the wealthiest at the expense of everyone else, it’s easy to feel defeated. But there are other stories to tell—the stories of communities full of generous people who are finding ways to lift each other up. In this issue you'll learn how to build solidarity economies based on joy. From how we shop to how we build our homes and livelihoods, we can help bring justice—and joy—to others.

American white supremacy can be traced back colonialism. In this issue we explore the extent to which ending economic, cultural, and racial oppression is possible.

One year's subscription to YES! magazine - 4 issues delivered to your letterbox